New Alfa Romeo Giulia goes for BMW 3 Series jugular

Alfa Romeo Australia has announced a $59,895 starting price for the Giulia, its first rear-wheel drive sedan in three decades, before its official release on February 16.

That makes the mid-size Italian four-door just over $2000 cheaper at base level than its most direct rival – the BMW 3 Series, which costs $61,900 plus on-road costs in equivalent 320i auto form.

The Giulia's sub-$60K starting price also undercuts the top-selling Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan (from $61,400), Audi's A4 2.0 TFSI Sport ($60,900) and the Jaguar XE 20t ($60,400).

However, the lower-output 318i three-cylinder and A4 1.4 TFSI Sport cost just $54,900 and $55,500 respectively.

Alfa announced indicative local specifications – but not pricing -- for the four-engine, four-grade, five-variant Giulia line-up in December and a $143,900 pricetag for the range-topping Quadrifoglio (QV) version last month.

The latter positions the turbo V6 super sedan, which set a new production sedan record at the Nurburgring and is claimed to hit 100km/h in a benchmark 3.9 seconds, squarely against the BMW M3 (from $139,615) and Mercedes-AMG C 63 (from $155,615).

Between the base 'Giulia' and the QV flagship are two versions of the mid-range Giulia Super, powered by either a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine ($64,195 plus ORCs) or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel ($65,895 plus ORCs).

The final Giulia variant is the premium Veloce ($71,895 plus ORCs), aimed directly at the BMW 330i ($69,990 plus ORCs) and powered by a high-output version of the Super's 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four.

As we've reported, the Giulia’s four engine choices are 147kW/330Nm and 206kW/400Nm tunes of the same 2.0-litre petrol engine, a 132kW/450Nm diesel and the QV's Ferrari-developed 375kW/600Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.

All powertrains mate standard with an eight-speed ZF auto with shift paddles. There is no manual or all-wheel drive offered, as they have only been developed for left-hand drive.

The full specifications list is listed below, but all Giulias come standard with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, including a record 98 per cent rating for adult occupants.

Other standard equipment at base level includes leather upholstery, bi-xenon headlights, keyless starting, idle-stop function, carbon-fibre tailshaft, satellite-navigation, dual-zone climate-control, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, Alfa DNA rotary drive mode selector, a 3.5-inch TFT colour cluster instrument panel, 6.5-inch infotainment display with DAB+ and Bluetooth connectivity, and eight-speaker audio.

Features like classier leather, eight-way power driver’s seat, active cruise control, heated steering wheel, blind spot monitoring, adjustable damping, bigger wheels and premium sound are added further up the range.

For example, the QV hero car boasts a sports bodykit, active aerodynamics, 19-inch forged alloy wheels, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), automatic high beam, active cruise control, electric leather and Alcantara front sports seats, a Harmon Kardon 14-speaker sound system and a bespoke 8.8-inch multimedia screen.

QV options include yellow brake or black callipers (which can also be had on the Veloce), carbon ceramic brakes, Alcantara/leather/carbon steering wheel and Sparco electric carbon-fibre sports seats.

Range-wide options include a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, 900-Watt Harmon Kardon sound and, for Giulia and Super models, Veloce and lighting options packages.

The Veloce accelerates to100km/h in 5.8sec and claims a fuel consumption average of 6.8L/100km, the Super diesel claims a 7.1sec 0-100km/h time and stellar 4.2L/100km fuel consumption and the entry-level 2.0 claims a 6.6sec 0-100km/h and 6.0L/100km.

The QV is the clear performance leader of the range with a 305km/h top speed, but with the aid of cylinder deactivation claims class-leading fuel consumption of just 8.2L/100km.

GIULIA
• 18-Inch Turbine Alloys
• Leather Upholstered Seats
• Front Seats with Electrical Adjustment
• 8.8-Inch Colour Display with Navigation
• Passive Entry
• Rear Back-Up Camera
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Lane Departure Warning
• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• 7.0-Inch Colour Instrument Cluster
• Rear View Mirror Autodimming
• 25W Bi-Xenon Headlamps
• Eight Airbags
• Eight Speaker Sound System
• Alfa DNA System
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

SUPER
• 18-Inch Luxury Design Alloys
• Pieno Fiore Upholstered Seats
• Heated Front Seats
• Heated Steering Wheel
• Leather Instrument Panel
• 8.8-Inch Colour Display with Navigation
• Rear Back-Up Camera
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Active Cruise Control
• Lane Departure Warning
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path Detection
• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• Air Quality System
• Alfa DNA System

VELOCE
• Unique Veloce Exterior Design
• 19-Inch 5-Hole Dark Alloys
• Red Brake Calipers
• Alfa Active Suspension
• Limited Slip Differential
• Sports Leather Upholstered Seats
• Aluminium Sports Pedals
• 8.8-Inch Colour Display with Navigation
• Rear Back-Up Camera
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Active Cruise Control
• Lane Departure Warning
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path Detection
• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• 10-Speaker 400W Sound System with Subwoofer
• 35W Bi-Xenon Headlamps
• Alfa DNATM System

QUADRIFOGLIO
• 19-Inch Forged Alloys
• Carbon Fibre Alfa Active Aero Splitter
• Monza Exhaust with Quad Tips
• Carbon Fibre Bonnet, Roof and Rear Spoiler
• Red Brake Calipers
• Leather and Alcantara Upholstered Seats
• QV Leather Steering Wheel with Red Starter Button
• Carbon Fibre Interior Trim
• Four Sports Seats Configuration
• Alfa DNA Pro
• Alfa Active Suspension
• Alfa Torque Vectoring System
• Rear Back-Up Camera
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Active Cruise Control
• Lane Departure Warning
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path Detection
• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• 8.8-Inch Colour Display with Navigation
• Harman/Kardon Sound Theatre
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Alfa Romeo Giulia pricing (plus ORCs):
Giulia -- $59,895
Super 2.0 -- $64,195
Super 2.2 -- $65,895
Veloce -- $71,895
Quadrifoglio -- $143,900